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> Why do stupid gimmicks like this? Why not have an efficient device and just charge it from the grid? I used to have a laptop with dual batteries, so one coul
by II2II 6y ago
> Why do stupid gimmicks like this? Why not have an efficient device and just charge it from the grid?
I used to have a laptop with dual batteries, so one could swap one battery out with another to have an uninterrupted power supply without having access to the grid. Very few people need an uninterrupted power supply while away from the grid, but some people do. That is why such a design existed. Something like an integrated solar panel may fill a similar niche.
It is also worth noting that a technology should not be dismissed simply because the first iterations appear impractical. If we took that attitude, many of the things we enjoy today simply would not exist. Just think of personal computers from the late 1970's and early 1980's. Few people used them since they were not very practical. On the other hand, that seed of a market both financed the development of the machines we use today and directed the development of the technology towards something we would want to use today. (Put another way: if people did not use that impractical technology in their homes, it likely that computers would remain the tools of large institutions.)
- nogridbag 6y agoDell used to offer dual battery bays in its business line like the Latitude C840: https://youtu.be/9XkeTCIC1TA?t=453 https://youtu.be/9XkeTCIC1TA?t=453 Side note: The clips holding in the batteries were the number one failure mode on those laptops.
- rzzzt 6y agoIBM/Lenovo themselves supported dual batteries at one point with the Ultrabay expansion slots: https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Ultrabay https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Ultrabay
- akvadrako 6y agoYou don't need dual batteries for that, just an external USB-C powerpack. And they are pretty common.
- II2II 6y agoDifferent time, different context. This would have been around 2010, when powering anything with USB was relatively uncommon. Some USB peripherals required a separate power supply or dual USB connections in order to provide enough power. Devices that charged via USB typically provided a special USB power adapter in order to facilitate faster charging. Even today, dual battery compartments have marginal utility. Since it is built-in, it offers extended battery life without carrying around extra modules. Spare batteries are mildly more convenient to carry around (no extra cables). Mostly though, it enforces user replaceable batteries.